Streaming services on the rise: How streaming platforms are targeting your students
Would you rather be bombarded by commercials in the middle of your show’s cliffhanger OR binge-watch your favorite show on a streaming platform that has tons of shows and no commercials? In case you’re wondering, students typically choose the latter.
Streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max have changed the way students watch television and movies. They not only offer hundreds of shows and movies to choose from but also provide an increasing number of shows specifically aimed at students.
Netflix in particular is making a major push to target young adults and teens with content that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Netflix offers something for everyone, from coming-of-age dramas like “Outer Banks” and “Ginny & Georgia” to heartfelt stories like “My Life With the Walter Boys.”
This push for more youth-oriented content has been hugely successful. Viewers watched “Stranger Things 4” for more than 1.35 billion hours in its first 28 days, and “Wednesday” ranked second in viewership at roughly 1.2 billion hours.
Netflix is engaging students off-screen with unforgettable experiences
In addition to its content, Netflix is beginning to engage its viewers in real life.
Recently, the streaming giant hosted Poguelandia, a unique event in Huntington Beach, CA that was a combination of a beach party and music festival, with a chance for fans to meet the stars of the popular Netflix series “Outer Banks.”
The show follows a group of teens hunting for treasure along the North Carolina coastline and is an excellent example of how Netflix is catering to the young adult demographic. The event provided an unforgettable experience for students to gather and share their love for the show.
Keeping Mental Health in Mind
Netflix has also taken steps to ensure that its content is appropriate for young adult audiences. For instance, Netflix includes messages from Mental Health America in shows such as “Ginny & Georgia” to help viewers who might be struggling with thoughts of self-harm. Following a scene where Ginny is burning herself with a lighter, which can be triggering for some viewers, a message appears on the screen, providing them with a website to visit for support.
Jinny Howe, vice president of drama series at Netflix, told the Los Angeles Times that they “worked very closely with Mental Health America on ‘Ginny & Georgia” and we took the responsibility incredibly seriously in terms of an authentic portrayal.”
What About Other Streaming Platforms?
Netflix is not the only streaming service creating content that students love. HBO Max, Amazon, and Disney have been targeting the same demographic. The reboot of “Gossip Girl” on HBO Max is an example of this, as is HBO’s critically acclaimed “Euphoria,” Amazon’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” and Disney’s “Love, Victor.”
All of these shows are aimed at young adults and students and have been successful in capturing their attention. With such a wide variety of streaming platforms, your students have plenty of options when it comes to entertainment.
TSI’s Take
In a world filled with various streaming platforms and content, it’s more important than ever for educators to empower their students to make informed decisions about what they watch and which streaming platforms they choose to use. With the rapid rise in popularity of Netflix and other streaming services, there are so many unique shows geared toward students; however, some of them can be controversial.
Empower your students to be mindful when choosing what to watch to ensure they select platforms and shows that have a positive influence on their lives by reminding them to:
- Choose to watch content that lifts them up and makes them feel good
- Find content that aligns with their values and helps them play to their core
- Stay away from controversial content that could negatively impact how they feel
For more ways on how you can support students to manage social media in positive ways through The Social Institute’s Seven Social Standards, check out this blog.
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The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that have a significant impact on student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support the health, happiness, and future success of students, while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications, and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.